Term: Possible ALC (Alternate Level of Care)
Last Updated: 2013-10-04
Hospitalizations or days of hospital care categorized as Possible ALC (rather than Coded ALC) are those for which the patient did not have an ALC Reason Code included on their hospital abstract, and was not designated as Alternate Level of Care (ALC), but due to markers in the data may possibly have been a non-acute patient for some portion of their acute care hospital stay. Due to possible under-coding of ALC patients, it may be the case that properly coded ALC hospitalizations and days of care are a subset of the true number of non-acute patients occupying acute care hospital beds. As such, in Fransoo et al. (2013) an attempt was made to identify additional hospitalizations and days in care that were likely non-acute, or Possible ALC. Several algorithms were employed, in a hierarchical fashion, to identify these patients.
Please read the concept,
Alternate Level of Care (ALC) Patients - Method of Identification
for more information, or read the
Possible ALC
glossary term in the deliverable for more information.